The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office MIMAROPA and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) MIMAROPA reaffirmed their shared commitment to advancing child-friendly governance and strengthening social protection systems through a convergence meeting that gathered key regional inter-agency committees responsible for safeguarding the rights and welfare of vulnerable sectors.

Led by DSWD MIMAROPA Regional Director Benchie B. Gonzales, the activity served as a venue to reinforce collaboration among partner agencies, harmonize regional priorities, and strengthen institutional mechanisms that promote child protection, gender responsiveness, disability inclusion, and restorative juvenile justice across the MIMAROPA Region.

Participating in the meeting were the secretariats of the Regional Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Trafficking and Violence Against Women and their Children (RIACAT-VAWC), Regional Sub-Committee for the Welfare of Children (RSCWC), Regional Committee on Disability Affairs (RCDA), and the Regional Juvenile Justice and Welfare Committee (RJJWC), alongside representatives from DILG MIMAROPA and member agencies.

A significant highlight of the activity was the approval and signing of key regional resolutions that will guide the implementation of child protection and social welfare initiatives in the region. Among these were the endorsement of the official list of 2026 MIMAROPA Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit (CFLGA) passers, the approval of the Comprehensive Regional Juvenile Intervention Program Plan (CRJIP) 2026–2029, and the adoption of the Regional Research Agenda on the Evaluation of Implementation Protocols in Handling Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL).

These milestones reinforce the region’s commitment to promoting evidence-based policymaking, strengthening local governance, and ensuring that programs and interventions remain responsive to the needs of children, women, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable sectors.

In his message, Regional Director Benchie B. Gonzales emphasized that achieving inclusive development requires sustained collaboration among government agencies and stakeholders.”Building child-friendly and inclusive communities is a shared responsibility. Through stronger inter-agency collaboration, we can ensure that our policies, programs, and services are responsive to the needs of the most vulnerable sectors. By working together, we strengthen our collective capacity to protect children’s rights, promote gender equality, advance disability inclusion, and create safer communities where every individual has the opportunity to thrive.” Director Gonzales also underscored that convergence remains one of the Department’s key strategies in delivering effective and responsive social protection services, noting that coordinated governance enables government institutions to maximize resources, eliminate service gaps, and deliver more meaningful outcomes for communities.

The strengthened partnership between DSWD MIMAROPA and DILG MIMAROPA reflects the agencies’ continuing commitment to fostering good governance, protecting the rights of vulnerable populations, and supporting local government units in creating safer, more resilient, and child-friendly communities.

Through sustained collaboration and unified action, DSWD Field Office MIMAROPA remains steadfast in its mission of empowering communities and ensuring that no one is left behind in the pursuit of inclusive and sustainable development.